Brentz Collects Second 5-hit Game as Dogs Win 7-2 May 31st

Brentz Collects Second 5-hit Game as Dogs Win 7-2 May 31st



Sea Dogs Win First Series in Harrisburg Since 2007

Portland, Maine - Bryce Brentz added his name to the record books Thursday afternoon with his second five hit game of the month. Brentz went 5-for-5 with 3 doubles, four runs scored, and a RBI leading the Sea Dogs to 7-2 win over the Harrisburg Senators (28-25) at Metro Bank Park. The Sea Dogs (22-31) pounded out a season team high 16 hits and collected their first series win, taking two of three games, in Harrisburg since the 2007 season.

Brentz is the first player in franchise history to collect two five hit games. Earlier this month, Brentz went 5-for-5 on May 13th against Trenton and would string together eight consecutive at-bats with a hit. Only ten other Sea Dogs have produced a five hit game. With today's effort, Brentz raised his average to .306.  His three doubles today also tied a franchise record.

Red Sox outfielder Ryan Kalish played centerfield for the Sea Dogs in a Major League rehab appearance.  Kalish was 1-for-4 with a double and walk. Kalish also made a spectacular catch at the wall to end the game. Chris Balcom-Miller (3-4) earned the win in front of 4,659 fans. Paul Demny (4-3) suffered the loss for Harrisburg.

The Senators threatened immediately in the bottom of the first inning. Eury Perez led-off with a bunt single to Chris Balcom-Miller and he was followed by a single to right-field by Jose Lozada which put runners on first and third. However, an unconventional double-play got Balcom-Miller out of trouble. Perez got caught in a run-down between third and home on a grounder off the bat of Valdez. Butler applied the tag on Perez and quickly threw out Lozada who had stopped between second and third. Balcom-Miller then enticed Chris Rahl into an inning ending pop-out to right-field.

The Sea Dogs took that momentum to the offensive side in the top of the second. Brentz kick-started the inning with a double to left field. He would come around to score on a single from Derrik Gibson but, was first moved to third by a ground-out sacrifice by Dan Butler. With Gibson and Nick Natoli, who reached on a liner to center field, running on an 0-and-2 pitch, Hazelbaker hit a pop up to center that landed between Perez, Jesus Valdez and Chris McConnell allowing Gibson to score giving the Sea Dogs a 2-to-0 lead.

The Senators cut the Sea Dogs lead in half in the bottom of the second. Rahl came around to score, after a lead-off walk, on a Devin Ivany sacrifice fly to make the score 2-to-1.

Brentz continued his hot hitting with his second double of the game in the top of the third which was good for his 15th multi-hit game of the season. With two outs, Butler lauched a two run homer bringing himself and Brentz home to put the Sea Dogs in front 4-to-1. Natoli followed with his first Double-A extra base hit, a double to left-fielder Rahl.

Notali picked up his first Double-A RBI in the Sea Dogs half of the fifth inning. Brentz began the frame with his third hit of the game, a single into very shallow left field that was stopped on a diving stab by short-stop McConnell. Notali then hit a sacrifice ground-out to drive Brentz expanding the Sea Dogs lead to four at 5-to-1.

Harrisburg closed the scoring gap to three in the bottom of the fifth. Perez led-off with a double (6) and was driven home by a Valdez double after being sacrificed over to third from a Lozada ground-out to first base. That made the score 5-to-2.

Brentz turned a good day into a monumental day in the top of the sixth with his fourth hit of the game scoring Shannon Wilkerson to bring the Sea Dogs' lead back to 6-to-2. The single by Brentz followed back-to-back walks by Wilkerson and Kalish. Brentz then doubled yet again in the top of the ninth to conclude his stellar month of May hitting .355.

Chris Balcom-Miller went five innings giving up two runs on six hits. Balcom-Miller also struck out two batters. Marco Duarte pitched four scoreless innings in relief of Balcom-Miller and picked up the save (1) but ran into trouble in the bottom of the ninth. With the bases load, and Duarte trying to protect the 7-to-2 lead, Rahl drove a ball to left field where Kalish made the game-ending catch before crashing into the wall to put a stamp on his rehab appearance.

The Sea Dogs travel to Altoona to play the Curve in a three game series starting Friday, June 1 at 7:00 PM. Red Sox top pitching prospect Anthony Ranaudo (0-1, 7.36) is scheduled to start for the Sea Dogs.  Altoona will send lefty Nathan Baker (3-5, 5.17) to the hill. Portland will travel back home after the Altoona series to start a six-game home stand against Bowie and Richmond beginning on June 5th at 7:00 PM. Tickets are available at seadogs.com.